1820 Settler Correspondence before emigration

ALL the 1819 correspondence from CO48/41 through CO48/46 has been transcribed whether or not the writers emigrated to the Cape. Those written by people who did become settlers, as listed in "The Settler Handbook" by M.D. Nash (Chameleon Press 1987), are labelled 1820 Settler and the names of actual settlers in the text appear in red.

LITTLEWOOD, John

Written by Sue Mackay.

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 382

Huddersfield

9th September 1819

My Lord,

I took the liberty of addressing the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the subject of emigration to the Cape of Good Hope and was referred by that Department to your Lordship. The purpose of my letter was in order to give the poor creatures a bias for emigration it would appear that someone should set them the example whose situation in life does not require his quitting the country for want of employ. This might reconcile them the more to undertake the journey, in which purpose I should feel no objection to make voyage myself with my family to settle at the Cape, provided I can do so under such an arrangement as may be adopted without prejudice to my reduced pay as Adj't of Local Militia.

I flatter myself to have been popular in my situation in this district, which is very populous. If I can be made useful in any way (having regard to my situation in life) your Lordship may depend upon my best exertions.

Should this communication in any way [obscured] your Lordship's views it will I trust be a sufficient apology & if not I must beg your Lordships forgiveness